


Blossoms Filled the Room

by Actual_Dunwich_Horror



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Colorado Avalanche, Fluff, Gabe loves plants, LGBTQ Characters, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Threesome - M/M/M, everyone loves plants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 03:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14440479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actual_Dunwich_Horror/pseuds/Actual_Dunwich_Horror
Summary: Nate is cheesy and loves buying flowers for Gabe. Gabe has an obsession with flowers and plants. Tyson is the owner of a new flower shop. Long story short, they all sort of fall in love with each other.





	Blossoms Filled the Room

**Author's Note:**

> After not writing anything for almost a solid year, I have returned with more hockey fic! And right after the Avs get kicked out of the playoffs! I love being bittersweet. Also, disclaimer, I don't know a lot about houseplants so forgive me and correct me if I screw up anything. Title is from Hospital Flowers by Owl City.
> 
> I don't own any of these guys. Please turn around if you found this by googling yourself.

Nate was cheesy. Especially when it came to showing his affection for Gabe. Even after three years, Nate still continued to surprise him with love notes and flowers constantly.

Which, is why he gets excited when he hears about a little greenhouse opening up nearby. 

In all honesty, Nate had grown tired of searching for flowers at the local chain grocery store. Sure, the flowers there were okay, but often times they were just the same few arrangements sold over and over again, and they tended to be a little wilted yet a little too flashy at the same time.

Nate hears about this new greenhouse while at a Starbucks on his way to work one morning. He’d been half asleep at the time and rather irritable, but there was no way the brightly colored flowery flier on the door wouldn’t catch his attention.

‘Barrie Floral’.

Underneath the vibrant green title, it gave some information about the new place, including the fact that they did custom flower arrangements and sold a variety of house plants (which Gabe had been recently growing fond of), and that they were located within walking distance of Gabe and Nate’s apartment.

Nate stumbled to get his phone out of his pocket, trying not to spill his coffee, and took a picture of the flier in the early sunlight, making a mental note to send it to Gabe later.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Nate arrived home after a particularly boring day of work to find Gabe sprawled across the couch watching some home renovation show, but he immediately perked up when Nate walked through the door.

“Hi, hon. How was work?”

Nate sighed and set his keys on the counter. “Long. It was so dead today. We had maybe like, 6 customers.”

Gabe gave a small chuckle and scooted over so that Nate could come sit next to him. “Really? That’s odd. You’d think that at this time of year, a sports gear store would be thriving.”

“Yeah, one would think,” Nate said as he sat next to Gabe and kicked his shoes off.

Gabe leaned in close to him and snaked an arm around his waist, planting a little kiss to Nate’s cheekbone. “Sorry things have been slow, babe. I’m sure it’ll get better soon.”

Nate smiled as a blush crept upon his cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m just glad I get to come home to you.” He turned to Gabe and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, drawing a little hum out of him.

“...and your big head.”

At that, Gabe let out a low laugh and shook his head. “Should’ve saw that coming.”

After a few moments of watching tv in a comfortable silence, Nate had a weird feeling that he was forgetting something. Eventually, he shrugged it off, and snuggled closer into Gabe’s side.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A couple of days later, Nate has the day off and decides to spend the day watching YouTube videos on his laptop. He was about halfway through a particularly dumb vine compilation when he receives a text from Gabe saying that he wouldn’t be home until late, and that there had been some complications at the office.

Nate responded to his text, saying that it was okay, when his brain suddenly decided that Nate needed to be cheesy again and buy Gabe more plants as a surprise for him at the end of his long day.

After actually questioning his own mind for a moment, Nate eventually agreed with himself. He got up and got himself to look at least semi-decent, slipped his shoes on, and grabbed his keys.

As he was heading to his car, Nate’s mind basically flipped gears, and reminded him of the new greenhouse that he was  _ supposed to remember for this exact reason. _

He facepalmed and turned to walk out of the parking lot, strolling down the sidewalk and making sure to keep an eye out for Barrie Floral.

As he walked, he pondered what sort of plants Gabe would like, as well as what would even fit among their large and growing collection. Eventually, after a bit of thought and some occasional glances at house plant websites he kept bookmarked on his phone, Nate decided that he’d look for something typical and aesthetically pleasing, like a succulent or a cactus. Maybe some daisies. Daisies had always been a weakness of Nate’s, though he hadn’t entirely told anyone, not even Gabe. Nate just loved how delicate they looked, and their soft colors mesmerised him.

It didn’t take too long for Nate to find the place, and it wasn’t hard to miss it either. It sat on the very end of a large strip mall, with a large tinted window on stretching along the expanse of one side. Also, there was about a million plants sitting outside underneath a huge light up sign. The front door was propped open, letting in the peaceful evening breeze. Nate hadn’t even gone in before he decided that he loved the place.

He slipped his phone into his back pocket and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets before stepping inside. Immediately, the damp scent of soil mixed with the subtle aroma of flowers surrounded Nate. He looked around, seeing rows and rows of plants and flowers practically glistening in the sunlight being let in by the large window to his right, as well as a few other customers milling about the store.

Nate made his way to a little area full of smaller house plants, all of which were much more incredible than the likes of which Nate was used to seeing. There were aloe plants, beautiful little jade plants, Chinese money plants, zz plants of all sizes, a few potted staghorn ferns, a huge rainbow of different colored succulents, and a plethora of oddly shaped cactuses.

Nate was honestly a bit awestruck at the selection, even though he was probably overreacting just a little. He wanted to buy everything. He knew Gabe would love every single one of these plants, and he was so stuck on what to choose. 

He stood there for a good five minutes, staring at all the different options, occasionally bending down to get a closer look. His distress must have been quite apparent though; he basically jumped out of his skin when he heard someone ask him if he needed any help.

“Oh god, sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

He turned to look in the direction of the voice and found an honest to god angelic-looking man observing him with a smile that reminded Nate of a field of sunflowers on a perfect day. He wore a forest green apron with a name tag that read ‘Tyson B.’ with the word ‘owner’ in smaller letters underneath.

“Oh, no worries! Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”

Nate sputtered as he tried to form an answer. This Tyson dude’s voice was just as heavenly as his complexion was.

“Uh yeah… I was looking for a gift for my uh.” Nate had a mini internal crisis as he tried to decide whether or not he should out himself to a random stranger. Especially to a BEAUTIFUL random stranger. He eventually decided ‘ _ Fuck it, the dude owns a flower shop, I doubt I’m the first or the last gay guy he’ll deal with’. _

“...for my boyfriend. He’s had a long shitty day at work and taking care of houseplants is like, his comfort thing. So, I want to surprise him, but I don’t know what to pick. I feel like he would love everything in this entire store.” He gave a nervous laugh and ran his fingers through his hair out of habit.

Tyson perked up and his smile only seemed to grow. 

“Oh, that’s really thoughtful of you! Well, I do have a few recommendations.”

He picked up a tiny potted aloe plant. “Aloe can be used for medical uses, but a lot of people will buy it because of how easy it is to take care of. I’ve also had people swear that having aloe plants helps them sleep better. Not one hundred percent sure on that, though.” He gave a little giggle that made Nate’s insides do somersaults. 

Nate smiled as he listened to Tyson talk about aloe a bit further. Under Tyson’s apron, he wore a plain, navy blue t-shirt that stretched rather nicely across his shoulders. He had these wide, gorgeous brown eyes that looked so enthusiastic, as well as short, unruly brown hair that sticked up quite a bit, which Nate found oddly charming.

“So yeah, aloe would be a great choice. Another great option would be gerbera daisies. They’re a bit more difficult to keep up with, but they’re just so bright and cheery. They light up just about any room they’re in, and I’m sure they’d help to brighten up your boyfriend’s day.”

Nate had to bite his tongue to keep himself from telling Tyson that  _ he  _ was bright and cheery, and that  _ he  _ can light up any room. It really didn’t help that Tyson recommended  _ daisies. _

After purchasing the little aloe plant as well as a small bunch of red gerbera daisies, Nate thanked Tyson for the help, and promised that he’d be back, which honestly made Nate want to slap himself, because  _ smooth Nate. _

Tyson leaned forward against the checkout counter and raised an eyebrow, giving Nate a genuine grin. “Well then, I’ll be expecting you.” Tyson paused for a moment before shaking his head and laughing. “Wow, that was kinda cringy. Sorry about that.”

“Hey, it’s alright. We all do it,” Nate said with a smile. After a moment of thought, he added on, “I’m Nate, by the way. Thanks again for the help, Tyson.”

 

~~~~~~

 

On the walk home, Nate mentally slapped himself. Nate had a boyfriend. And he made that clear when he met Tyson. Yet he sort of flirted with Tyson, and he’s pretty sure Tyson sort of  attempted to flirt back.

Oh well. He would go on with his day, he would go on loving Gabe, and he would do his best not to think about the absolutely adorable florist he had met until he wanted or needed to buy something for Gabe.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Gabe was absolutely in love with the plants. He’d never had an aloe plant, and he kept going off about how tiny and adorable it was. He loved the daisies too. After finding them a spot with a suitable amount of sunlight, he kissed Nate, telling him how romantic he was to remember that red and orange were his favorite colors of flowers.

Nate responded by kissing Gabe again, only a little deeper than before.

Eventually they found their way to the couch, Gabe on top of Nate as they made out, hands roaming across each other’s bodies.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

A few days later, Gabe thought about the new plants Nate had bought him, and asked him where he had gotten them, because he had never seen aloe this tiny anywhere before.

Nate had totally spaced out when it came to actually telling Gabe about Barrie Floral. And he had managed to actually forget about that entire experience in general- he’d forgotten about Tyson. Oh god, Tyson. Nate’s face flushed a soft shade of pink.

“A newer place. It’s just down the street, it’s called Barrie Floral. They have a hell of a lot better selection of plants than anywhere else around here,” Nate could physically see Gabe grow more interested. “Oh man Gabe, you’d be in heaven. Like, if I could’ve, I would’ve bought that entire damn store for you because you’d love it all so much. There was like, rows and rows and rows of flowers and plants. It was so big… They must have like, at least one of every type of plant to ever exist in there.”

“Seriously? Holy shit, why haven’t I heard of this place?” Gabe scrambled to get his shoes on, and he gave Nate an exasperated look. “Dude, you can’t describe heaven to me and expect me to  _ not want to go there immediately _ . We’re not doing anything for a while! It wouldn’t hurt to go check it out!”

Nate didn’t do anything except smile and shake his head. He honestly loved it when Gabe got over-enthusiastic about anything, really. His eyes would seem brighter, he’d be more energetic and outgoing. In all honesty, he basically turned into a giant puppy, and Nate thought that it was the absolute cutest thing ever.

So, there was no way that Nate would even think about protesting when Gabe grabbed him and basically ran out the door with him in tow.

After a few minutes of walking, Gabe finally realized that he, in fact, did not know how to get to Barrie Floral, and eventually let Nate lead the way until they arrived to the gorgeous little store.

Needless to say, Gabe was absolutely ecstatic about the place. The moment they walked in, he had to take a moment and just take in everything. It was so big and spacious, yet so crowded, but in an orderly way. Gabe was in paradise. He acted like a little kid in a candy shop, running around and pointing at all the flowers and plants, occasionally stopping to gently touch or smell them.

Nate stayed close by at all times, smiling and laughing along with Gabe. Butterflies grew in his stomach whenever Gabe’s eyes lit up, and it was like falling in love with him all over again.

After a few more minutes of looking at the plants near the front of the store, Nate followed Gabe to the back of the store where gardening supplies were kept. As they wandered around, they turned a corner at the end of a small isle and ran into none other than Tyson, who just happened to be restocking garden hoses.

Tyson looked over at the two of them, and automatically gave Nate a bright smile, obviously recognizing him.

“Back already, eh?” He set down the bundle of hoses he had in his arms. “It’s good to see you, Nate.”

Nate could feel his face grow warm, and he nervously stuttered out a response. “Haha, yeah. Good to see you too, Tyson.” Nate snuck a quick glance at Gabe, who was basically gaping at the man in front of them, almost as awestruck as Nate had been.

Tyson shifted his attention to Gabe and crossed his arms, tilting his head to his side and giving him a knowing smile. “You must be Nate’s boyfriend. From what I hear, you’re a bit of a plant freak. I’m Tyson.” He stuck out his hand for a handshake.

Gabe looked at his hand for a moment, and took it between both of his own hands, holding it like Tyson was some sort of god.

“I’m Gabe. Your store is heaven. Like, thank you for being so conveniently close and high quality.”

Nate gave a little snort, entertained by his boyfriend’s antics, although he was a little bit jealous. Of them both. Fuck. Tyson’s face had flushed to become a soft shade of pink, and he chuckled nervously. “Aw, well, I appreciate that. I worked hard to make it happen, so I’m glad you enjoy it.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

Not too long later, Gabe and Nate left the store, but not without Gabe buying a little cactus for his desk at work, as well as a beautiful glass hummingbird feeder to hang outside their apartment patio. 

As they walked home, there was a small silence that fell over the two of them, but after a moment of thought, Gabe spoke up.

“He’s so adorable.”

Nate turned to look at Gabe, a little surprised to see Gabe giving him an oddly serious, yet optimistic look.

“Oh my god, isn’t he?”

“...We have to go back.”

“Gabe, we  _ just left.  _ Plus I doubt he’ll be leaving anytime soon.”

“I know but…” Gabe let out a huff.

Nate smiled and shook his head. “He reminds me of a living sunflower. So bright and just. Wow.”

Gabe nodded, and Nate couldn’t help but notice the little mischievous smile that slowly spread across his face.

**Author's Note:**

> No one beta'd this, so I hope it turned out okay. Let me know if there's any glaring mistakes I should patch up. Next chapter will come soon.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Come freak out about hockey players with me on my hockey tumblr, @shultz-n-maatta.


End file.
